Green SUV Led Authorities to Alleged Mall Carjackers

A green sport utility vehicle spotted fleeing The Mall at Short Hills parking lot at a high-rate of speed immediately after last Sunday's fatal carjacking was one of the first leads investigators had in the case.

It turned out to be a crucial link to the four Essex County men charged this weekend in the death of a Hoboken attorney when he returned to his Range Rover with his wife after a night of shopping.

A green Chevy Suburban, seen fleeing by witnesses and caught on mall security cameras circling the parking area earlier in the night, was found ditched in South Orange on Wednesday, law enforcement sources told The Star-Ledger.

Investigators discovered the SUV belonged to the mother of one of the four men who ended up being charged in the death of Dustin Friedland, the article said.

Hanif Thompson, 29, of Irvington, and Newark residents Karif Ford, 31, Basim Henry, 32, and Kevin Roberts, 33, were each charged this weekend with murder, felony murder, carjacking, conspiracy, possession of a weapon and possession of a weapon for unlawful purpose.

The four men were all arrested without incident between 9 p.m. Friday and 3 a.m. Saturday.

The accused carjackers all have criminal records, ranging from burglary to bank robbery, and face life in prison if convicted under state statute of killing Friedland.

However, they could face the death penalty if they are charged in federal court, according to NJ.com.

U.S. Attorney Paul Fishman said his office will communicate with the Essex County Prosecutor's Office as the case progresses to determine if "federal prosecution is most appropriate," according to NJ.com.

The four men remain held on $2 million bail and await arraignment dates, which had not been set as of Sunday.

According to authorities, the four men drove around the mall parking areas in the Suburban and ultimately approached Friedland as he and his wife returned to their vehicle shortly after 9 p.m. last Sunday.

Friedland, 30, struggled with one of the carjackers before being fatally shot in the head, sources told The Star-Ledger. Friedland's wife, Jamie, was ordered out of the vehicle by the carjackers but was unharmed.

Two of the carjackers fled in the stolen Range Rover and the other two left in the Suburban, Acting Essex County Prosecutor Carolyn Murray said at a Saturday news conference announcing the arrests.

Murray declined to comment which of the four men allegedly pulled the trigger and said the weapon has not been recovered.

The incident has raised safety concerns and questions whether shopping complexes are doing enough to protect customers.

Essex County Sheriff Armando Fontoura said the mall stopped paying sheriff's officers a few years ago to patrol the parking areas, according to NJ.com.

Fontoura said the malls "have a responsibility to make sure those folks on the outside are secure," according to the article.

Michael J. McAvinue, the mall's general manager, said last week they might consider reviewing security procedures after the fatal carjacking, NJ.com reported.

Millburn Mayor Sandra Haimoff said the killing was "tragic, shocking and very disturbing," but the incident was "far from normal" for the usually quiet community.

Friedland's wife appreciated the efforts of authorities and thanked them in a written statement for making the four arrests.

"We are very grateful to the Essex County Police and all of the local authorities for pursuing this so vigorously," Jamie Schare Friedland said in the statement.

Her husband, who grew up in Toms River, studied mechanical engineering at Bucknell University and graduated Syracuse Law School. Services for Friedland, an avid runner who lived in Hoboken, were held Wednesday in South Jersey.